REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK, REDUX

[quote="Rolly"]

seisdedos wrote:

Rolly wrote:

Jerry00 wrote:Thank god for Carlos. One thousand percent improvement since he bought Telmex.

I remember what it was like before. I think it's a lot more than 1000% improvement.

Really Rolly? What year did you move to Mexico?

I moved here in 2000. However, I began regular visits in Manzanillo in 1987. I frequently had to conduct business via phone while visiting, and it was hell dealing with the phone system.

When México privatized the phone system, I told my broker I wanted to buy shares. He talked me out of it. The fool. Later I fired him.[/quote]

Well, just a minute. We moved here in the first months of 2001 and I don´t think the telephone system has improved at all since then including any problems with instituting lines in our names here in 2001 or in Chiapas in 2006. Certainly there has been no improvement since 2001 with our service experience.

Now, my first visit to Mexico was in 1969 and my permanent residency here at Lakeside started in 2001 and the improvements in telephone and banking services since 1969 are incredible as they have been in the United States and all of Europe and Africa and Asia but that is not the responsibility of Carlos Slim - simply the technological advancements since transpired none of which originated in Mexico and certainly not under Carlos Slim´s tutelage. Giving Sr. Slim credit for advances in telecommunications technology is a bad joke.

Amigo, the change in the phone company was less about technology than it was about business. It changed from a moribund government bureaucracy to a modern business. That change in management made it possible to upgrade the technology.

hound dog wrote: Giving Sr. Slim credit for advances in telecommunications technology is a bad joke.

Amen!
I've heard that 3 or 4 out of every 10 pesos a Mexican spends goes into Slim's pocket one way or a another,what a prince.

Well when we moved here, it was long distance to Ajijic, and internet was dial up. So, it's a heckuva lot better.

It's not long distance to Ajijic (from SJC) anymore?

kipissippi wrote:It's not long distance to Ajijic (from SJC) anymore?

Nope, hasn't been for years.

[quote="Rolly"]Amigo, the change in the phone company was less about technology than it was about business. It changed from a moribund government bureaucracy to a modern business. That change in management made it possible to upgrade the technology.[/quote]

A significant change in technology as well as some competeitive business practices in much of the world as well as Mexico, amigo. My comment was meant to deflect the notion that Carlos Slim had anything to do with the changes we have seen in recent years much less the changes we have seen in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia over the past 40 years. As a young backpacker in Europe, Africa and Asia in the 1960s I am very well aware of the changes since then for the better in many respects but to give Carlos Slim credit for the improved telephone system is a misreading of history in my opinion. This is not to disdain Sr. Slim´s achievements but let´s be prudent in assessing who is responsible for improved telephone service anywhere on the planet.

Oh I agree that Telmex is much much better. And I agree that one of the reasons it is better is because that they got the government out of the business. But look at say the Telmex internet speeds compared to those countries in North America where Carlos Slim didn't have a monopoly, and you can see how low we are on the list. I’m just suggesting that things would have been even better now if there had been more competition.

I suggest if there had been more competition that more funds would have been invested in the Telmex infrastructure and perhaps it might have taken Carlos Slim longer to become the richest man in the world. But no big deal, there are a lot of other things that I like here in Mexico and now that there is more competition things are getting better at Telmex. This is just my opinion

E-raq wrote:

kipissippi wrote:It's not long distance to Ajijic (from SJC) anymore?

Nope, hasn't been for years.

Then why is it long distance from Ajijic to SJC?
Every time I call my daughter in SJC from SAT, on Telmex land line, I'm charged LD.
Cell phones no, as we both have Guad. Telcel nos.

Rolly, you were absolutely right about buying TelMex shares. I did and made out very well on them.

seisdedos wrote:How many people were around here when there was no such thing as an FM3 for retirees and no menaje de casa? Oh yeah, those were the days. One good thing about them though was there wouldn't have been little johnny in ajijic or MC around.

Back then everybody played the market. The black market. For just about everything. The transito in Chapala that people whine about is a piker compared to what it used to be.

Funny, my Father In Law and his wife were spending 6 months per year every year in Manzanillo 40 years ago. Drove there from Texas every year. Got a car permit at the border and some type of visa that allowed both of them to stay there for 6 months. He was a U.S. citizen.

See if you can confine your personal nastiness to the Octagon.

slainte39 wrote:

E-raq wrote:

kipissippi wrote:It's not long distance to Ajijic (from SJC) anymore?

Nope, hasn't been for years.

Then why is it long distance from Ajijic to SJC?
Every time I call my daughter in SJC from SAT, on Telmex land line, I'm charged LD.
Cell phones no, as we both have Guad. Telcel nos.

Do you not get the package, for $599 pesos which includes 100 free phone calls anywhere in Mexico plus internet wifi service? We do have to pay extra for cell phone service.

Mainecoons wrote:

Funny, my Father In Law and his wife were spending 6 months per year every year in Manzanillo 40 years ago. Drove there from Texas every year. Got a car permit at the border and some type of visa that allowed both of them to stay there for 6 months. He was a U.S. citizen.

See if you can confine your personal nastiness to the Octagon.

When you become a mod here, then you get to tell people what and where they can post.

He got a 180 tourist pass. The same that the snow birds get these days. That's what the majority of full time residents in Chapala had back then. They made a trip to the border every 6 months to renew it. No one in Migracion was paying much attention to it. Or they bought a new set of permits on the black market. $50 usd was pretty much the going rate. Beat driving to Texas and back sharing 2 lane shoulderless roads with all the tractor trailers.

This place was completely different before the baby boomers started to arrive. Things most of the late comers take for granted either didn't exist or were terribly expensive. Dealing with the government was worse than a trip to the dentist. The ones that were here were here because they loved this country. The ones that came for other reasons, i.e. cheap living or the weather usually didn't stick around for long.

E-raq wrote:

slainte39 wrote:

E-raq wrote:

kipissippi wrote:It's not long distance to Ajijic (from SJC) anymore?

Nope, hasn't been for years.

Then why is it long distance from Ajijic to SJC?
Every time I call my daughter in SJC from SAT, on Telmex land line, I'm charged LD.
Cell phones no, as we both have Guad. Telcel nos.

Do you not get the package, for $599 pesos which includes 100 free phone calls anywhere in Mexico plus internet wifi service? We do have to pay extra for cell phone service.

Raq, You get 100 free minutes(not calls) on this plan, and that includes calls NOB......pretty good deal now.

Here is what I get on the $599 plan



Este paquete incluye:

Infinitum hasta 5 Mbps*
200 llamadas locales

LADA Nacional ilimitados

100 minutos a Estados Unidos1 y $1.00 el minuto adicional (más impuestos)
Llama a cualquier parte del mundo2 por $1.00 el minuto (más impuestos)

Todos los Servicios Digitales

Renta mensual dela línea

Beneficios Infinitum



Renta mensual $599.00

I finally started to get almost 5 mg down, but they seem to be using burst technology which means that were I to download a file it would be as if I had a slower connection.

Sorry that it is in Spanish, but a lot of the words are similar

When we were first going down that was one of the problems i had with the Raquet Club...I've always loved the views.

[quote="gringal"]On (gasp) TOB, there was an interesting thread (yes, it was) about people who had returned to the U.S. and most of them wanted to return again to Mexico after the experience. Only one woman considered lakeside as "paradise lost",but she moved to Zapopan and likes it there.

How about you folks? Anyone gone back NOB and wishes they hadn't? Subsequently returned to Mexico?
Been disappointed about the long term family welcome?

We moved here eight years ago, never went back for a visit and never looked back. That doesn't mean there aren't things I miss (paved streets and decent Asian food), etc. but all in all......I wouldn't go back. When we need a "family fix" we get them to come here. Bribery usually works.[/quote]

Sorry guys, I am sure one of the few, but could not wait to get back NOB, I guess Mexico is not for all!

What has improved in 11 years:
Internet service
Telmex service
Electric service - hardly any outages and not for as long a time
More restaurants - much better variety
Super Lake - at least double to triple the inventory, although about 35% is from Costco with markups of 20 - 40%
Walmart - an improvement for Mexicans - some Gringos shop there
Pacifico Pescaderia - best fish store in Ajijic - the best addition in 1 1/2 years
Much cleaner Ajijic, due to Ajijic Limpio.

What's not an improvement:
Additional traffic lights to screw up traffic - I believe there was only one at Colon 11 years ago, but correct me if I'm wrong
More traffic due to more Gringos and newer developments, but still bearable compared to NOB cities

Thanks Pete, hey, we've been getting more than I thought. The big guy looks after the phone and internet plan. Great deal wouldn't you say.

No problem with the Spanish. It's all good.

We havn't been back since we moved down here and don't miss anything back there but coupons. I loved my grocery coupons.

Well, yes the kids and grandkids also but they know where we live!

I will see if some of our sponsors will put coupons on their websites for you......jaja.

I like the coupons/discounts given here. You know with the chain stores. Walmart has a discount book and Costco has an online coupon book. And the great thing is, when I forget to turn a coupon in at Costco, even when I buy several items, I get them at the coupon rate.

Coupons are out there and they are in Spanish.

Here is a reply to the original thread about leaving Mx. and what was missed.

Just returned from our first trip back to Canada after moving here six months ago, was there for two weeks and was glad to return to Lakeside. I noticed: most of the people have their lives on hold waiting for the weather to improve and become more like what we have everyday here at Lakeside. People were hiding inside from the wet cold weather, they were in bad spirits probably because of months and months of living in grey, dark, cold weather.
I noticed how so many people have sooooooo much stuff. Mini storage facilities were everywhere you turned, storage yards were filled with boats, autos, campers, motor homes, etc.
I noticed my nieces and nephews spending thousands of dollars every month just to stay a step ahead of the banks. Their lives did not have enough hours in the day to earn income to make the payments to keep a modest lifestyle going.
I notices children crying and screaming in the malls because they could not have the latest video game out, and thought about the kids I see here on the buses, being entertained by their older siblings laughing and always with a smile on their faces.
I noticed excess everywhere and realized how much most people have there, and also expect. I noticed life there as being all about money, dept, work, worry.
I got a rude awakening when a bottle of Coke and a chocolate bar cost over six dollars!!!! and thought what the equivalent in pesos would buy you in Chapala.
I was shocked to pay almost $30 for a 750ml bottle of rum, the exact same thing costing the equivalent of $7.50 at Ajijic's WalMart.
I was glad to hear the Spanish service announcement on the airplane when we boarded in LA. even though I did not understand much of it. I missed the Mexican people more then I thought I would. It felt good to return to Lakeside for me.

Nice post,otrocanuck.